The present invention relates to an assembly of a motor vehicle steering wheel and an airbag module and to a horn actuating device mounted on a steering wheel.
Italian patent application TO98A000795 teaches a motor vehicle steering wheel comprising: a metallic armature comprising a hub, a circular rim and a plurality of spokes joining the hub to the circular rim; an actuating element, typically comprising an airbag module, which is mounted on the armature of the steering wheel in movable manner between a raised resting position and a lowered horn actuating position; resilient means interposed between said actuating element and said steering wheel armature to return the actuating element to its raised position; a horn actuating device interposed between the actuating element and the steering wheel armature and comprising at least a first electrical contact rigidly connected to the steering wheel armature; and at least a second electrical contact which moves with the actuating element and is intended to cooperate with said first electrical contact for actuation of the horn. The resilient means comprise a plurality of springs, each of which exhibits a fixed base portion supported by the steering wheel armature and a portion operatively associated with the actuating element and having a free end suitable for constituting said second electrical contact which cooperates with said first electrical contact. The helical springs are mounted on respective plastic supports interconnected by a flexible plastic strip in which are embedded two conductive tracks, respectively connected electrically to each spring and to the first electrical contact cooperating therewith, in such a manner as to form a preassembled unit adapted to the steering wheel armature.
There is provided in accordance with the present invention a steering wheel comprising a metallic armature comprising a hub, a circular rim and a plurality of spokes joining the hub to the circular rim, an airbag module mounted on the armature of the steering wheel in a manner such that the airbag module is movable between a raised resting position and a lowered horn actuating position, a horn actuating device interposed between the airbag module and the steering wheel armature and comprising at least a first electrical contact rigidly connected to the steering wheel armature and at least a second electrical contact which moves with the airbag module and cooperates with said first electrical contact for actuation of the horn, a plurality of helical springs interposed between said airbag module and said steering wheel armature to return the airbag module to the raised resting position, each of said helical springs has a fixed base portion supported by the steering wheel armature and a portion operatively associated with the airbag module and has a free end comprising said second electrical contact which cooperates with said first electrical contact, and said helical springs are mounted on respective plastic supports interconnected by a flexible plastic strip in which are embedded two conductive tracks, respectively connected electrically to each helical spring and to the first electrical contact cooperating therewith to form a preassembled unit adapted to the steering wheel armature, said helical springs each having a said free end acting as the second electrical contact comprising an extended portion of the helical spring protruding outside the theoretical cylinder of the helical spring.